The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-08-27
STEAM. BRICKS AND sPLInTERs.
Terrible Explosion In a corham Can
ming Shop.
John Hamlin Killed and Others Se-
rIousIy Injured.
The Building Blown to Pieces by the
Shock.


Johnson corn canning factory on the Fort
Hill road, two and one half miles beyond
Gorham village, at II o'clock yesterday fore
noon.
1t was the most serious and lamentable ac-
eident that has occurred In the town for a
good many years If ever. In fact IL is said
to be the first one of its kind that ever hap
pened in the town. The explosion took
place in the bath house, frame struc-
ture about 40 feet by %, and one story high,
containing the boiler, pans and their connec-
tions, and two retorts. Five men were at
work in the building at the time. These
were Herbert A. johnson, the proprietor,
John Hamlin, Fred l.. Hainlin, Harry Palm
er, and Milvill A. johnson.
John Hamlin was so badly injured that he
died at O'Clock in the afternoon. His chest,
face and skull were crushed and his arm
broken. He never was conscious after the
explosion, though he talked deliriously at
times. His age was 22,he was unmarried, and
was the only son Of Mr.. Arthur Hamlin, who
lives in the neighborhood. He was the de-
pendence of his parents, upon whom the loss
falls with crushing force. At the time the
L hEo6 ltpOlttl fioAtCu luC oCclc ldSt ChCu~
ing, the disfgured body lay, CHASTITY sight.
near the scene of the ruins, while the under
takers were preparing to remove it,
Fred l.. Hamlin's skull was fractured, and
he sustained besides severe bruises on vari-
GUS parts of the body. DIR. Weeks, of Port
land, assisted by Drs. Watson, Of Gorham
village, and Marshall, of South Windham,
performed the operation of trepanning, and
last evening the chances Of Hamlin's recov-
cry were thought about even. He Is only
about 10 years old and Is the son Of A. l..
Hamlin, who lives on the summit Of Fort
Hill.
Herbert A. johnson was not bruised much
but was terribly scalded, principally on the
face, arms, hands and the front Of the upper
part Of the body. The skin Of his hands
and arms peeled off with flakes Of flesh, and
it is feared that he will be crippled. He also
received a cash on the head. Mr. johnson
did not at first realize how badly he was
hurt, but persisted in working about the
ruins doing what he could for others until
friends fairly forced him to go home.
Harry Palmer, young man, living ON
Fort Hill, and the son Of Rev. Z. S. Palmer,
was cut on the head, bruised about the body
somewhat besides being slightly scalded.
The cash ON his head was sewed up, and his
injuries are not thought to be serious
Melville johnson, son of Matthew John
son, got out Of it better than any of the
others. A flying brick or splinter laid open
the top Of his head, but only so that single
stitch closed the wound. He was also
bruised somewhat ON the hip and was
of course generally shaken up. He
was able, however. to sit up with
bandaged head and tell the story of his ex
perience. He says that at the time of the
explosion Herbert johnson and Fred Ham,
lin were tending the boiler, he (Melville) and
Harry Palmer were stopping cans, and John
Hamlin, who was killed. was opening cans.
John Hamlin had just stopped working for a
moment and had stepped to one side when
the crash came. Melville was in the back
| part Of the shop, behind the boiler and near
an open door, and to this he attributes his
escape from more serious injury. He was
blown outward, and on recovering from a
momentary stunning, found himself on his
hands and knees on platform in the rear
which his father was building at the time.
He found himself badly bruised and shaken,
but realized instantly what had happened
and went to work to help the others as soon
as he could collect himself.
1t is wonder that more were not hurt or
killed. Several boys had just gone out Of
the bath shop, which is the technical name
of the building in which the boiler was, and
often there are dozen or more people in
the room. just outside, in the oDen air, a
few feet away, some twenty or thirty men
were engaged in husking corn, while in the
packing house adjoining fdozen girls and
several men were at work. Altogether forty
to fifty people were about the place. Some
Of the huskers had narrow escapes, and sew
eral were struck by the flying debris, but not
badly hurt Mr.. Matthew johnson was do
ing some carpenter work in the rear of the
bath shop just outside He narrowly missed
being buried under the falling wall, but got
off without scratch. He was stunned
somewhat, and his first thought was that all
inside, including his son, were killed. AS
soon as he could recover his presence Of
mind he went inside and pulled Fred Hamlin
out of the pile of bricks beneath which he
lay unconscious and half buried.
The cause Of the explosion is not definitely
known, but is conjectured to have been
caused by low water in the boiler. 1t is also
| thought that the gauge was out of order and
so did not indicate the true pressure. The
boiler was an old affair and patched con-
| siderably. 1t was purchased in Deering this
summer, being removed from the sheepskin
tannery of William Mitchell in Deering. 1t
was of considerable size, but was not used
| for power but simply to raise steam for
| cooking the corn. Five minutes before the
| accident it was noticed that the gauge in
dicated between so and 70 pounds pressure
The boiler was fired with wood and fed with
| water through pipe from raised tank that
was filed with water pumped from brook.
The boiler was considered safe for the pur-
| pose for which it was used, no great
| pressure being required. But whether the
| explosion was due to low water, a false
| gauge or an inexperienced engineer, Is a
problem.
The PRESS reporter visited the scene and
| viewed the havoc by moonlight and lantern
| light at about o'clock last evening. II was
sight to be remembered. The plant con-
| sisted Of two buildings, the bath shop, which
was wrecked, and the packing shop, an ad-
joining building, separated from the first by
the space of few feet. The packing shop.
which was somewhat larger than the other,
Is uninjured. The bath shop stood about
ten rods from the highway. 1t contained
the boiler. set on brick arches, two large
sheet iron pans for cooking the corn, and
two large safe-like retorts in which part Of
the process is carried on. One pan was de-
stroyed, as were the pipes connecting both
with the boilers. The retorts were not much
damaged. These :were the chief articles in
the building, though there was considerable
canning paraphernalia scattered about, to
say nothing of the corn in course Of prepa-
ration. The great boiler was torn apart
through the middle, the torn and
jagged fragments of thick plate lay
scattered about, bent and fractured pipes
were seen scattered in confusion all about
the place, while Of the mason work not one
brick lay in order on top Of another. The
four walls were blown outward, leaving the
roof to collapse and fall in. Bricks were
hurled in all directions, some being found
as far as the road, ten or twelve rods away
The whole spectacle bore witness to the tre-
mpndauc foraa nf fba axrvIoe;o. u